1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a job re-execution function in an image forming apparatus having a user authentication function, and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-43962 has proposed an image forming apparatus which executes a job and stores the contents of a job such as a print or a transmission job (to be referred to as an original job or the original execution of the job hereinafter and the function of which may be referred to as the execution function), and then re-executes the job (the function of which will be referred to as a re-execution function hereinafter). This conventional technique is designed to store the contents of a job for re-execution depending on whether permission for the re-execution of the job is given at the time of the original execution of the job. In order to re-execute a job, a user may select an already-executed job from a print log and cause the re-execution of the selected job. In order to re-execute a job in accordance with an instruction from a user who has the proper authority, the conventional method includes determining whether the original execution of the job was permitted based on user authentication of the user that is selecting the re-execution of the job.
The conventional technique, however, has the following problems. For example, according to the conventional technique, since only a user having the proper authority can issue an instruction to perform the re-execution function, user authentication is again performed to determine whether to permit the re-execution function. On the other hand, this technique decides whether to enable the storage and re-execution of a job at the time of the execution of the original job, based on whether permission/inhibition of re-execution of each job is designated or the re-execution function is valid. This raises the problem of a job for re-execution potentially being stored and enabled to be re-executed in spite of the user authentication function being invalid. In addition, a certain application which executes a job allows an unauthorized user to execute the job and handle a job stored by an unregistered user. For example, the unauthorized person can re-execute or delete a job. That is, even unauthorized users can re-execute jobs.